Then He [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” - Luke 24:45-47
“What are the major activities or works of the Holy Spirit described in the Bible?” This is the question we’ve been seeking to answer over the last several weeks in our current sermon series. Here is listing of those that we’ve covered thus far:
The Holy Spirit…
This morning we will continue our exploration of the works of the Holy Spirit. We will discuss the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Bible. What role did the Holy Spirit play in the development of the Bible and how does He interact with it today? Over the next 40 minutes or so, we’ll try to find some answers.
I. THE REVELATION OF GOD
According to my Bible dictionary, the word revelation means “The act of disclosing to others what was previously unknown to them. Specifically, it is God’s disclosure or communication of truth to mankind, either personally, or by his authorized agents, the prophets and apostles.” Revelation is usually categorized in 2 ways - general revelation and special revelation.
General revelation comes through creation and nature. The natural world itself declares the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20). As such, those who deny that God exists are “without excuse” because He has made Himself evident to all people. While general revelation proves that God is real, it doesn’t explain His purposes or intentions for mankind.
Special revelation comes through supernatural means. God has, over the course of time, revealed Himself through personal appearances, dreams, visions, spoken utterances, the Word of God, and ultimately the incarnation of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). In these ways, God has provided humanity with specific instructions necessary for salvation and godly living.
Most Southern Baptists, myself included, believe that God’s special revelation to mankind was completed with the advent of Jesus Christ and the canonization of the Bible. God’s Word is sufficient and contains the full disclosure of His will and His instructions for humanity. Everything man needs to know about God is in the Bible. It was given “once for all”, thus no “new revelation” is necessary (Jude 1:3). Any claims of revelation from God outside of the Bible should be met with extreme skepticism.
II. THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE
God’s special revelation to mankind has been written and is preserved on the pages of the Bible. This miraculous work was accomplished by the Holy Spirit. He inspired the various human authors of the Bible to write God’s message precisely as the LORD desired. As such, God’s Word is completely trustworthy. It is inerrant (in its original manuscripts), infallible, and fully authoritative.
The word inspiration means “God breathed” and sets the Bible apart from any other book ever written. God’s Word is just that - it is His own words written to men by men under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every word of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and it provides everything necessary for the sinner to be saved and the believer to be fully equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). No other word is needed.
Although each Biblical author had their own unique style and linguistic personality, the Holy Spirit guarded their writing to ensure that it wasn’t an expression of their own will but rather an accurate revelation of God’s will (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible contains a beautiful collection of history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, epistles (or letters), law, gospel narration, and apocalyptic writings that are attributed to around 40 different authors over a period of almost 1,500 years. Amazingly, all 66 books of the Bible fit seamlessly together and all point to its central theme - Jesus Christ. The continuity and complementary nature of Scripture attest to its divine inspiration.
III. THE ILLUMINATION OF SCRIPTURE
Illumination refers to increasing the light so that things can be seen more easily. When someone turns on the light in a dark room, the furniture and items in the room become visible. Illumination didn’t create these things - they were already there, but were hidden by the darkness. The light simply allowed them to be seen.
The same is true in a spiritual sense. The Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible so that Christians can understand the thoughts and words of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). His revelations are already present in the scriptures, but they are not always “seen” by individual believers. The Bible is like an inexhaustible mine of limitless treasure just waiting to be discovered. The Holy Spirit shines light on these treasures, allowing Christians to comprehend God’s truth in a deeper and more profound way.
Paul prayed that God would enlighten the eyes of the Ephesians’ hearts so that they might know the hope of His calling and the riches of His glory. Later, he prayed that they would be enabled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to, among other things, comprehend the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:17-18; 3:14-19). Both of these passages refer to illumination - the ability to grasp the wondrous truths of the LORD. The Bible is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path because of the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119:105).
CONCLUSION
To sum up, revelation is the disclosure of the truth, inspiration is the recording of that truth, and illumination is the personal understanding of that truth. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture to ensure that it perfectly and sufficiently communicates God’s special revelation to mankind. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture so that we can truly understand it when we read it. These are 2 more of the important works of the Holy Spirit.
I trust that in the last days, when we see Jesus face to face, God will reveal Himself in a much greater way. There is more revelation to come, beloved, and it promises to be spectacular. But for now, we should be content with the revelation He has given to us in creation, in Christ, and recorded on the pages of the inspired Word of God. It is enough to meet our every need. We should also be thankful that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand God’s Word, and should strive not only to know it, but to obey it!
“What are the major activities or works of the Holy Spirit described in the Bible?” This is the question we’ve been seeking to answer over the last several weeks in our current sermon series. Here is listing of those that we’ve covered thus far:
The Holy Spirit…
- Executes All Divine Operations
- Convicts the Lost unto Salvation
- Convicts Believers unto Confession
- Restrains the Rise of the Antichrist
- Effects All Aspects of a Believer’s Salvation
- Baptizes New Believers Into the Body of Christ
- Adopts New Believers Into the Family of God
- Gives Spiritual Gifts to All Believers
This morning we will continue our exploration of the works of the Holy Spirit. We will discuss the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Bible. What role did the Holy Spirit play in the development of the Bible and how does He interact with it today? Over the next 40 minutes or so, we’ll try to find some answers.
I. THE REVELATION OF GOD
According to my Bible dictionary, the word revelation means “The act of disclosing to others what was previously unknown to them. Specifically, it is God’s disclosure or communication of truth to mankind, either personally, or by his authorized agents, the prophets and apostles.” Revelation is usually categorized in 2 ways - general revelation and special revelation.
General revelation comes through creation and nature. The natural world itself declares the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20). As such, those who deny that God exists are “without excuse” because He has made Himself evident to all people. While general revelation proves that God is real, it doesn’t explain His purposes or intentions for mankind.
Special revelation comes through supernatural means. God has, over the course of time, revealed Himself through personal appearances, dreams, visions, spoken utterances, the Word of God, and ultimately the incarnation of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). In these ways, God has provided humanity with specific instructions necessary for salvation and godly living.
Most Southern Baptists, myself included, believe that God’s special revelation to mankind was completed with the advent of Jesus Christ and the canonization of the Bible. God’s Word is sufficient and contains the full disclosure of His will and His instructions for humanity. Everything man needs to know about God is in the Bible. It was given “once for all”, thus no “new revelation” is necessary (Jude 1:3). Any claims of revelation from God outside of the Bible should be met with extreme skepticism.
II. THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE
God’s special revelation to mankind has been written and is preserved on the pages of the Bible. This miraculous work was accomplished by the Holy Spirit. He inspired the various human authors of the Bible to write God’s message precisely as the LORD desired. As such, God’s Word is completely trustworthy. It is inerrant (in its original manuscripts), infallible, and fully authoritative.
The word inspiration means “God breathed” and sets the Bible apart from any other book ever written. God’s Word is just that - it is His own words written to men by men under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every word of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and it provides everything necessary for the sinner to be saved and the believer to be fully equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15-17). No other word is needed.
Although each Biblical author had their own unique style and linguistic personality, the Holy Spirit guarded their writing to ensure that it wasn’t an expression of their own will but rather an accurate revelation of God’s will (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible contains a beautiful collection of history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, epistles (or letters), law, gospel narration, and apocalyptic writings that are attributed to around 40 different authors over a period of almost 1,500 years. Amazingly, all 66 books of the Bible fit seamlessly together and all point to its central theme - Jesus Christ. The continuity and complementary nature of Scripture attest to its divine inspiration.
III. THE ILLUMINATION OF SCRIPTURE
Illumination refers to increasing the light so that things can be seen more easily. When someone turns on the light in a dark room, the furniture and items in the room become visible. Illumination didn’t create these things - they were already there, but were hidden by the darkness. The light simply allowed them to be seen.
The same is true in a spiritual sense. The Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible so that Christians can understand the thoughts and words of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). His revelations are already present in the scriptures, but they are not always “seen” by individual believers. The Bible is like an inexhaustible mine of limitless treasure just waiting to be discovered. The Holy Spirit shines light on these treasures, allowing Christians to comprehend God’s truth in a deeper and more profound way.
Paul prayed that God would enlighten the eyes of the Ephesians’ hearts so that they might know the hope of His calling and the riches of His glory. Later, he prayed that they would be enabled by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to, among other things, comprehend the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:17-18; 3:14-19). Both of these passages refer to illumination - the ability to grasp the wondrous truths of the LORD. The Bible is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path because of the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119:105).
CONCLUSION
To sum up, revelation is the disclosure of the truth, inspiration is the recording of that truth, and illumination is the personal understanding of that truth. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture to ensure that it perfectly and sufficiently communicates God’s special revelation to mankind. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture so that we can truly understand it when we read it. These are 2 more of the important works of the Holy Spirit.
I trust that in the last days, when we see Jesus face to face, God will reveal Himself in a much greater way. There is more revelation to come, beloved, and it promises to be spectacular. But for now, we should be content with the revelation He has given to us in creation, in Christ, and recorded on the pages of the inspired Word of God. It is enough to meet our every need. We should also be thankful that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand God’s Word, and should strive not only to know it, but to obey it!